Lemont’s Annette Lesnicki Qualifies for IHSA Girls’ Swimming State Finals

For the first time in four years, Lemont High School’s girls’ swimming program will be represented in state finals competition.

Junior Annette Lesnicki’s effort in the 100 butterfly at the Illinois High School Association Neuqua Valley Sectional was good enough to earn her a spot in that event at the 2013 IHSA Girls’ Swimming State Finals, which will be contested Nov. 22-23 at New Trier High School.

Lesnicki was eighth in the 100 fly at the IHSA Neuqua Valley Sectional, which was held on Nov. 16. All swimmers who equal or surpass an established minimum qualifying time in sectional competition advance to the state finals. Lesnicki’s time of 58.47 was nearly a half-second quicker than the IHSA’s minimum qualifying time (58.94) in the 100 fly.

Prior to Lesnicki’s performance, Lemont’s most recent state qualifier in girls’ swimming was Melanie Waszak ‘10, who made the last of her three state finals appearances in 2009. That season, she placed eighth in the 100 fly, which is the best finish ever in state finals competition for a Lemont swimmer. Waszak also competed in the state finals in 2006 and 2008.

Lesnicki finished second in the 100 fly at the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division meet earlier this fall, and helped head coach Erin Boyd’s Indians to a runner-up finish at the SSC Meet.

Single-session tickets for the IHSA State Finals are $10, while a ticket for all sessions is $20; tickets may be purchased at the event.

Swimming preliminaries will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, while finals competition will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. Consolation finals will be swum immediately prior to the championship finals in each event.

Girls’ swimming is the fourth Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. Sophomore Taylor Campos participated in the IHSA Class 2A Girls’ Cross Country State Finals; senior Bridget Lynn competed at the IHSA Class AA Girls’ Golf State Finals; and senior Lisa Gawron took part in the IHSA Girls’ Tennis State Finals.